The Development of the Small Group

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Abstract
The literature of small group development is vast but, despite two recent reviews, theoretically inconclusive. This article summarizes a selection of prominent theories representative of the field, clustering them around three related models, a recurring phase model, a sequential phase model, and a changing leadership model. A conceptual synthesis is then presented using two related dimensions, the fluctuating psychological closeness of the members as they approach individuation and the stepwise generation of the group's culture. It is suggested that groups evolve through a series of stable structures separated by phases of hostility and narcissism as the leader, or later the culture, fails to satisfy the needs of the group.

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